The Mid Atlantic Library Alliance, usually referred to as MALiA, is happy to announce the recipients of the MALiA Library Program Grant Fall 2025.  The grants are awarded to libraries that are MALiA members, with grants awarded to applicants who have proposed an innovative program.

Buchanan County Public Library in Grundy, Virginia, was awarded a grant for their Yule Ball Event.  The celebration of all things Harry Potter is part of the library’s effort to promote the magic of the written word and build a stronger community of readers. For 2026, the Yule Ball will occur on Saturday, January 3rd.  The $500 grant will help cover the cost of some of the refreshments that will be served at the event. 

Massanutten Regional Library in Harrisonburg, Virginia, was awarded a grant for their Bilingual Story Times, which helps support speakers/translators for a series of family story times in Spanish, Arabic, and additional languages.  Their program also plans to include additional story time editions of books that support these languages and cultures.  The $500 awarded will be used to cover some of the expense of purchasing Storytime editions of books and to pay translators/speakers to assist with story times.     

Mooneyham Public Library in Forest City, North Carolina, was awarded a grant for their Dino Tracks to Fossil Facts program.  This program will tie into the library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program’s theme of “Unearth a Story”.  It will provide students with the opportunity to learn about dinosaurs and explore how fossils are made and discovered.  The program will also give participants a chance to excavate skull pieces and identify the type of dinosaur they discover.  The $500 awarded will cover the cost of two programs conducted by the Schiele Museum. 

--Teresa Matney, Library Program Grant Chairperson